Clinker-tongs.



W. W. CHURCH.

CLINKER TONGS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1907.

913,6 1 9 Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

A TTOR/VE Y5 normal position.

' of the lower end of the same closed.

ILLIAM WARREN URCH F OCK I$.L. .NP IP JNQI o INK R-roncrs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. as, 1909.

Application filed June 28, 1907. Serial No. 381,362.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, WILLIAM WARREN CHURCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rock Island, in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, have inv nted a new and useful clinker-Tongs, of whic the following is a specification.

'T his invention relates to an implement for the use of those who care for furnace fires and consists of a device for the removal of clinkers from the fire chamber of a furnace, boiler, or like construction.

The object of the invention is to provide a clinker tongs which shall be simple in construction, direct and sure in its eration and economically manufactured. T e tongs comprise two gripping plates pivoted together, one plate being attached to the standard and the other to a rocking lever connected to a hand operatim rod. The gripping lates are held normally open and are close by pulling on-the operating rod.

In the accompanyin drawings: Figure l is a perspective view 0 the clinker tongs in Fig. 2 is a side elevation Similar numerals of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

The numeral 1 indicates the standard and consists 'of a bar of metal, preferably cylindrical, ofsufficient length for the urpose and having one end bent downwar ly at a right angle to form a handle 2. From about midway the length of the standard 1 the bar curves gently upward away from the handle I to near the end where it again receives a downward bend 3 at about a right angle to the bar 1 and finally a forward bend 4 terminating a short distance beyond the latter bendm a projection 5, thetwo bends forming a shou der 6. The handle 2, shoulder 6 and projection all he in a lane passing through the center of the stanr ard 1.

Attached to the upper side of the projection 5 by rivets is the lower gripper plate 7 made preferably of sheet steel, its forward side be ng provided with a notch 8 extending into the plate a little more than one-half the dimension of the plate from front to rear.

The plate 7 between the notch 8 and its rear edge is stamped to form a rib 9 on the upper surface of the plate and a groove on its under surface into which the ro'ection 5 on the lower end of the stan ar fits. The forwardly extending tongues 10 on the lower plate 7 are curved upwardly at 11 for a purpose hereinafter disclosed.-

On the standard 1 near the up er end of the bend 3 is fulcrumed a rocking ever 12 on a throu h bolt 13. This lever is preferably made of two fiat curved bars 14 and 15 of metal similar in shape and dis osed in parallel relation to each other. The upper end of each bar 14-15 is provided with a lateral projection or foot 16 riveted to the upper movable gripping plate 17 which like the lower plate is provided with a notch 18 and two tongues 19 turned downwardly at their forward ends as shown. The opposite ends of the rocking lever bars 14, 15 have pivoted between them on a connecting bolt 20, an eye 21 formed on the lower end of an operating rod 22 which curves upwardly toward the standard 1 and lies parallel thereto until near its up er end where it is formed into a loop 23. "yes or uides 24 are attached to the standard 1, t irough which, the operating rod passes and is held in place:

Instead of making the rocking lever of two similar pieces of metal, it may be made of a single piece erforated for the standard and having feet or the upper plate 17 and a notch for the operating lever 22.

The upper gripping plate 17 is held normally out of contact with the lower plate 7 by means of a spiral spring 25 here shown as surrounding the operating rod 22 between the upper guiding eye 24 and a hand hold on the rod 22. The means for closing the grip ping plate comprises a triangular frame 27 made of heavy wire or a light rod having one side 28 parallel to the standard 1 and passing through a guiding eye 29 above which the frame 27 is turned downwardly at a right angle and surrounded with a suitable hand hold 30. The remaining side of the frame 27 curves towards the upper end of the operating rod, and with the side 28 forms a loop attached to the upper end of loop 23 of said rod. When the hand hold 27 is pulled, the two gripping lates come together or on whatever may be etween them, at the same time extending the spring 25. As soon as the pressure on the operating rod is released, the spring contracts and raises the gripping plate 17. The hand hold 30 may be of coiled w1re.

Clinker tongs as above described are most efficient in their operation, as by having a comparatively broad fixed plate on the bottom, the plate can be easily worked under a clinker without disturbing the coal or fire in any appreciable. way, and as soon as the plate has worked under the clinker, a pull on the operating rod closes the upper plate on each p ate has two points of contact with a I clinkerit is held at four points and cannot escape from the plates from this fact and because of the direction of pressure of the upper plate.

While the bar 1 has been spoken of as bemade of a round or cylindrical bar, it

may be hollow or of any other desirable shape.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. A device of therlass described comprising a standard bent at its upper end to provide a handle, and ofl-set at its opposite end by a double bend to form a projection out of line with the standard, but parallel thereto, a gripptng plate provided with two projecting tongues with upturned ends and avmg aconcave seat for said projections to creme which it is riveted, a rocking lever comprising a pair of curved members pivoted one to each side of the standard and at a point adjacent one of their ends, the opposite ends of the said members extending above the said gripping plate and being provided with laterally turned ears, a second gripping plate,

riveted to the said ears, said ears being posiseat for said projection to which it is riveted, I

a rocking lever comprising a pair of curved I members parallel to each other intermediately pivoted on opposite sides'of said standard near the offset, a second gripping plate with similar tongues riveted to one end of said rocking lever, a connecting rod pivoted to the opposite'end of said rocking lever and extending up the standard, and a 'finger grip pivotally jomed to said connecting rod.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM XVARREN CHURCH.

Witnesses:

ALFRED T. RAsMUssEN, GEORGE BENNETT. 

